The Haunted Soldier (Lord John Grey #2.5) by Diana Gabaldon: Book Review

This review is only regarding the third novella in Diana Gabaldon's book Lord John and the Hand of Devils. In The Haunted Soldier Lord John finds himself being interrogated by an army council on the specifics of an exploded canon - one that nearly killed him. This catapults him into yet another mystery, which includes a love triangle, political intrigue, and a government spy. Grey's relationship with his half-brother, Edgar, and Edgar's wife is touched upon, and our understanding of Grey's character--and his obsession with Jamie Fraser--is deepened.

Gabaldon's writing is beautiful, as usual, and this is the best of the three stories in this collection. Her sharp wit shines through in the character of Grey, and you just can't help but love him for all his gallant, self-deprecating insistence on honor and doing what is right. I was a bit confused during the boat/ship scene at the end; I really had very little understanding of what was happening. But everything is wrapped up nicely, and I suppose I gathered enough from the explanation at conclusion of the climax to "get it." I'm not sure if I just lack understanding of nautical terms, if it is my inability to keep straight in my mind the various minor characters, or that the particular scene was not very clearly written that was the problem. In the end I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much; things are resolved, and Major John Grey lives on to take another assignment--and more adventures, no doubt--with the army.

Get a copy of Lord John and the Hand of Devils on Amazon.

Read about the author, Diana Gabaldon, on Goodreads.

Lord John and the Succubus (Lord John Grey #1.5) by Diana Gabaldon: Book Review

True to form, Lord John Grey once again finds himself in the middle of a fracas. It's humorous to me how he always stumbles upon these things and finds himself knee-deep in some sort of scandal or investigation. In this novella (originally published in 2004 in the anthology Legends II: New Short Novels by the Modern Masters of Fantasy, edited by Robert Silverberg, and now also found in the collection Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon), it is the fall of 1757, and Lord John is stationed in the town of Gundwitz, Prussia as the English liaison to the Prussian army. As liaison, he is forced to mediate a dispute between an English soldier, a Prussian tavern owner, and a gypsy prostitute. This begins his adventure, which involves investigating the mysterious deaths of two soldiers, thought to have been killed by a succubus. The rumors of a female demon preying on men in their sleep passes like wildfire throughout the troops and soon the camps are in an uproar. Everyone is too afraid to sleep, so the soldiers fight to stay awake (using various interesting tactics), and their performance in the line of duty is thereby compromised. Lord John is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, having every confidence that there is a logical explanation for the deaths.

As always in the Lord John stories, there are one or two references to Jamie and Claire Fraser, but they are brief and do not shed any new light on the adventures of your favorite Outlander couple. This is not Gabaldon's best work, as I believe she writes best when not constrained by time or word count. But the humor and lightheartedness of John Grey still shines through, and there is even a bit of a shocking revelation about his past toward the end. I love Lord John and will continue to read more in his series.

Get a copy of Lord John and the Hand of Devils on Amazon.

Read about the author, Diana Gabaldon, on Goodreads.